My Story of Reverse Discrimination

In the fall of 2009 a full time position teaching history at the Community College became vacant. I had taught there as an adjunct since 1992 and had excellent evaluations. I was encouraged by my supervisor, Dr. Johnson, a black woman, to apply. I was a finalist with a colleague, a woman from India. I'm not even sure she was a citizen. I know she returned to India every year to see her family

I was send an email by my department chair, Dr. Johnson. Giving me and date and time of my interview. As it turned out this was wrong and I got there late! At any rate, several weeks later I met with the department head who told me that the position had been offered and was accepted by the Indian lady. She then told me that I was a victim. "we already have three white males and don't need another." She said my credentials were the best but none of that mattered. 

The bottom line: I was a white male with years of experience and the best background for te job! The next year I taught, as adjunct, five classes but only received compensation as an adjunct. 60% of the college is made up of adjuncts. 

Dr. Johnson told me that she got the department chair position only because she was black and was told at the time that there was no black department chair at the college. She was encouraged to apply. After I became very ill in 2011, the department had promoted a white professor to be supervisor but not department chair. It was, in my opinion, a window dressing to get out of presenting a very damning situation in general.

I knew, from that experience, that I would never be hired as a full time employee. I consulted a lawyer who was a personal friend and another friend who was a tenured full time professor at another university. Both agreed it was how the state operated.

I am a naturalized citizen, having come as an immigrant in my infant years to the United States. So happens my family was German. Not very popular as the US switched priorities to black and brown people. But my best complement came from a middle-aged white man who said on the last day of class, "we never knew your background, you politics, your religion." In other words, I tried to teach fairly and without any noticeable bias. 

And none of those criteria should be used for selecting a teacher. But I always prided myself on knowing American History better than most. After a stroke, a sloppy therapist wanted me to recite the months backwards. I countered, "sure, and can you do the same with American presidents?" I was judged to be surly. I'll take that.